Cushioning device for railroad rails



Jan. 17, 1928. 1,656,353 4 J. HARRISON, SR

CUSHIONING DEVICE FORRAILROAD RAILS Filed Aug. 10. 1926 Zjwwntoc Patented Jan. 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES I 1,656,353 AT FF-ice;

c JOHN HARR SON, sit, or namimnx, ARIZONA.

"CU SH IONI NG DEVICE tbitRAI n'oAn RAILS i a tucauonmea August 10, 1926. Serial No. 128,385.

spring being mounted on the stem engaging the plate an d clamp, saiddevice being adapt ed to counterbalance the natural expansion and contraction of the rail and also any movement of the tie against which it perates, the expansion of the spring being controlled by a nut mounted on the threaded stem and engaging against the flange or tongue on the clamp.

The invention will be described in detail hereinafter and will be found illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is aview of the end fragments of meeting railroad rails showing the joint, and showing the cushioning device applied thereto, t

Figure 2, a top plan view of the cushioning device,

Figure 3, an end view,

Figure 4, a transverse sectional view on a 30 plane indicated by the line 44 of Figure Figure 5, a longitudinal sectional view on a plane indicated by the line -5 of Figure 2, and

Figure 6, a transverse sectional View on a plane indicated by the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

In the drawings similar reference characters will be nod to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In Figure 1 the cushioning device is shown applied to one of the rails A of a railroad track adjacent to the joint between the rails, a fishplate B being shown to connect the meeting ends of the rail, the fish tion of joint connecting means may be substituted therefor. The rails A are supported on ties designated C, and to permit the expansion and contraction of the rails they are provided with the usual elongated openings in their webs (not shown) for reception of the bolts engaging through the fish plate B.

The cushioning device includes a clamp comprising two members, member 1 being plate being selected for illustration only. as it will be apparent that any other construe provided with a hookffl adapted to engage oneotthe flan es of the based the rail, ahd member 3 sli ably mounted on member 1 and having hook '4 to engage over theoppositefiange of the rail base, and held in clamping relation with member 1 by means of a nut 5 threaded onto a threaded exten- 6 of member This construction admits of a limited adjustment of meiilbcr 3 'on member 1, Mei nicer 1' has a dependingtongueor flange 7 provided Withancpen *ing 8 in which 'is sl-idably mount-ed a threaded stem 9 secured to or formed integral with plate 10 that is adapted to engage against one of the ties C, as shown in Figure 1.

To prevent rotation of the plate 10 its upper edge is provided with a recess 11 to receive the base of the railroad rail, one end of said recess being defined by a hook 12 adaptcd to engage over the flange of the base of the rail, while the other end of the recess is defined by an upstanding lug 13. An ex pansible coil spring 14 encloses the threaded stem 9 and terminally engages the flange or tongue 7 and plate 10. A nut 15 is threaded on the stem 9 and is providedwith a circular flange 16 having a series of radial notches 17 to receive a tool for rotating the nut on the stem to adjust the tension of the spring 14.

In use the device is applied in the position shown in Figure 1 after the spring 14 is tightened by threading the nut 15 on. the stem 9, andthen by releasing the spring to permit expansion by backing the nut on the stem, the reaction of the spring will move the rail andjoint into proper relationship with the meeting rail, and the nuts fastening the joint plate or fish plate B on the ends of the rails are then tightened. \Vhen in this position it will be understood that the spring 14 will hold the rail in proper place by its inherent tension and insures holding the rail to which attached from engaging the adjacent rail before maximum expansion of the rails has been reached. In other words. it will be understood that contraction of the rail will be against the expansion of the spring, and when the rail again expands, the expansion of the spring will insure easy movement of the end of the rail into the joint.

It will also be understood that the device may be used as a jack for moving the rail relatively to the tie to which the device may be engaged, by removing the spring from the stem 9 and reversing the positions of the clamp member 1 and the nut 15. When the parts are in the possition stated, the rail may be moved by turning the nut 15 on the stem against the flange or tongue 7 and the device will function adequately as a jack for moving the rail.

lVhat is claimed is 1. Means to cushion the movement of railroad rails, comprising a clamp to engage a rail, a threaded member slidably engaging said clamp and adapted to engage a stationary object, and means engaging said threaded member and the clamp to adjust the position of the rail.

2. A cushioning device for railroad rails, comprising a rail clamp, a threaded member slidably engaging said clamp, a spring on said threaded member and en aging said clamp, and a nut engaging said threaded member to adjust the tension of said spring.

3. A cushioning device for railroad rails, comprising a rail clamp having an opening therein, a plate adapted to engage a rail tie, a threaded stem on said plate and slid ably engaging in said opening, a spring on said stem and terminally engaging said clam and said plate, and a nut on said stem to at justthe tension of said spring.

4. A cushioning device for railroad rails, comprising a rail clamp having an opening therein, a plate adapted to engage a rail tie and recessed to engage the base of a rail, a

threaded stem on said plate and slidably engaging in said opening, a spring on said stem and terminally engaging said clamp and said plate, and a nut engaging said stem to adjust the tension of said spring.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN HARRISON, s11. 

